Hey everybody! This is Natasha and Ryan. Welcome to the book club for Each Little Bird that Sings. Each Little Bird That Sings was written by Deborah Wiles and is a realistic fiction story. We have split this into Five Sections.  The first section is pages 1-56.  There are about 6 chapters per section. We would really enjoy sharing this book with you! After every section we will ask you a question and we would love for you to respond and share your own thoughts.  But right now for this section, please don’t start reading yet.  We want to have you preview it first as it says in the section.  Enjoy!

Preview the back cover, the pictures, and the title and make an educated guess about what you think this story is about?
Read -Section 1

Hello again!  It’s Ryan and Natasha.  Today we will discuss section 1.

Summary:
Comfort is just a normal girl except for the fact that she lives in a funeral home and sees dead people almost every day.  But it’s all right with her because as you can already tell, she’s happy with her life and couldn’t be feeling any better.  But soon her Uncle Edisto dies and so does Aunt Florentine.  They were the two relatives that Comfort was very close to.  That’s when it dawned on her that death was actually a sad thing; especially when it happens to people you know.  Comfort wasn’t a huge mob of just sadness all the time, but she got a little sad as she grieved to her relatives.

Respond – How would you deal with death if you were in Comfort’s position, living in a funeral home? Would the cruel grip of death eventually be able to scratch its way into the center of your heart and toy with you emotions? Or would you be strong-willed just like Comfort?
Read – Section 2

Hey again! This is Ryan and Natasha. Welcome yet again to tell about Each Little Bird that Sings here in book club. Today we are going to discuss Section 2 pages 57-100.

Summary:
In the second section, Comfort’s cousin, Peach, comes, (much to Comfort’s dismay…there’s a little bit of E.L.B.T.S. humor for you!) and Comfort talked to her mom about having to watch Peach that night. She begged, and after a long time, her mother said that Comfort didn’t have to watch him. Instead of going to Aunt Florentine’s funeral that day, Comfort makes the decision that she would like to just sit in her closet. But after, a while, she gets dressed up into her funeral clothes and heads downstairs for the funeral, because she decides that it is the right choice.  Peach is misbehaving a lot at Aunt Florentine’s funeral, destroying her clothes, make up, and hair, when he clings to her lifeless body during his tantrum. After the viewing Comfort yelled at Peach and Peach begins crying. Declaration then shows up at the funeral, which is great, and what Comfort wanted, but she is acting very mean to Comfort.

Respond – If you saw a loved one in a casket being prepared for a funeral, how would you cope with your feelings?  Would you just sit there watching, letting all of your emotion bottle up inside of you?  Or would you cry, using up all the Kleenex and Snowberger handkerchiefs?
Read – Section 3

Hey! It’s Natasha and Ryan again. Thank you for visiting the book club.  Today we are going to focus on section three, pages 101- 143.

Summary:

In the third section, Declaration gets incredibly mean.  She showed up at Comforts house with two other girls named Kristen and Tiffany who always teased Comfort about living in a funeral home.  When Comfort admits to Peach that she had a very bad day, she sort of apologizes for yelling at him by telling him she will let Peach into her room and show him her bottle cap collection that Great Uncle Edisto willed to her. Declaration comes to help with the funeral, against her will, and is not acting like her old self. She is very mean and angry toward Comfort, and when they get into an argument, they throw insults, slaps, and pushes at one another. Their tussle ends and Comfort and Declaration are left with their emotions in ruins. A little bit before the funeral for Great-Great-Aunt Florentine, Comfort and Declaration walk instead of drive. Peach insists on walking with them, and Comfort and Declaration have to go with him, causing them to be very irritated with each other and Peach.

Respond – If you had to walk a long ways with an unbearably annoying person, how would you deal with this? Would you make an effort to be nice to the person, or would you walk with the person scowling the whole way?
Read – Section 4

Hi again! It’s us, Ryan and Natasha.  And here is our summary for section 4.

Summary:
Peach runs into the flooding Snapfinger Creek after Declaration scares him by talking about death. Comfort is right behind him, trying to stop him, but they both end up getting caught in the flood with Dismay, too. They all begin to drown because Peach wouldn’t let go of Dismay. Comfort forced Peach to let go over her dog, even though she really didn’t want to. They eventually get out after dismay goes swirling down the creek, drowning. Dismay goes missing, but comfort and Peach get very sick and aren’t well enough to search for him yet. It is very surprising when Peach says that he accepts death, and that it can never touch him, and soon after, Comfort turns very, very ill. Declaration then apologizes to Comfort many times, but Comfort won’t hear any of it. Comfort blames Declaration for everything that happened to her and Peach, and she is very mad at her.

Respond – If you were faced a life-or-death situation how would you handle it?  Do you think you would be strong enough to outlast it all?  Do you have any experiences like this, if so, can you share?
Read- Section 5

Hiya! This is Natasha and Ryan.  Today we are going to discuss Section 5.

Summary:
Comfort becomes even more ill and has to stay in bed while her family searches for Dismay. After Peach and Comfort get a little bit better, they talk while they look at their Uncle Edisto’s old bottle cap collection and discuss the incident in Snapfinger Creek. All the while Declaration keeps on writing Comfort and apologizes to her, but Comfort doesn’t forgive her. Later, Comfort finds Dismay’s collar by aunt Florentine’s grave and Mama tells her that she knows in her heart that their dear old dog Dismay has passed because he drowned in the creek. Comfort feels so badly about Dismay, so she hosts a life service for him. Comfort, Peach, and Declaration finally connect at the end, and make amends.

Respond – So the story’s over and I hoped you liked it.  What did you think of this story?  What would you rate it from one to ten, ten being the highest one being the lowest?  What do you think the author’s message was?